Prime: A Caged Bird Doesn't Sing
by Lunar Mist
Summary: Soundwave had been following her for a while, keeping track of his prey. Now, he finally has a chance to take her for his own.


Here's a Soundwave ficlet. **Read this first!** This fic is a bunny that would have made a marvelous chapter fic. however, I don't have time for another chapter fic, so I condensed it. It seems jumpy, but it tells the story. I won't lie. It's kinda dark - well, darker than my other fics. Maybe in the distant future (next summer or later) I might stretch it out, but... for now, it's just a one-shot that might become a collection of one-shots. :)

BTW: I tried to not make her a Mary-Sue. I based her of my personality and my best friend's looks. She's fraggin' beautiful. Red hair to her lower back (it's against her religion to cut it) and baby blue cat-shaped eyes. She's so sweet, too. That girl that you wanna hate, but you can't cuz she's so sweet. XD So... no flames. I will laugh at flames simply because I did this for fun, and I'm not really doing it to impress. :)

ENJOY! :D

* * *

_"Singing"_

_'Thoughts'_

**/Soundwave is in your MIND 0.o/**

If it says that a "voice" said something, then it's Soundwave using a recording.

* * *

**A Caged Bird Doesn't Sing**

**Soundwave/OC**

**Lesson: First look at a darker theme**

**Words: 10,439**

**Universe: Prime**

* * *

It was dark outside, but that hardly mattered to him. Darkness accented him, reflected him. The darkness hid him, like a cold hug, keeping him from the sight of all who looked. It was why he had no worries of being discovered as he stood outside the backdoor of the honky-tonk bar while the staff inside cleaned up. He had been here multiple times before, both in his true form and through Lazerbeak, every Thursday night, in fact, because every Thursday night, _she_ was there. He loved her voice. She had a voice that made his engine run hot, that made his circuits sing with energy. Like the Autobots Jazz and Blaster, he had a fine appreciation for music, and finding such a beautiful voice amongst these disgusting piles of flesh was something he couldn't ignore. She deserved more. She deserved _far_ more.

Every Thursday night, she would sing. Country songs, rock, new age, rap. It seemed as if her voice fit every type, as if the songs were made specifically for that angelic voice. But as he observed her from the front window via Lazerbeak, he was forced to watch as fleshy males grabbed at her, hooting wildly as she danced modestly on stage. At four o'clock in the morning, all the drunken human males would be sent home so that the employees could clean up. She helped out with that, cleaning up tables and taking out the trash to the dumpsters out back. Then, she would return inside and receive her pay for the night. A Stratus would drive up to the front of the bar at nearly the same time every morning, the human with the beautiful voice would say her good-byes to her coworkers, and she would climb into the car, which took her home. Today, she would not be returning home. He would not allow that male human to take her away again.

"Yeah, I know, Kathy! What kind of guy does that?" that enchanting voice called as she opened the back door, trash bags in hand as she laughed. Even her laughter was beautiful. He allowed the sound to flow over his audio receptors as he watched his prey move farther away from the buildings, a smile on her face as she trudged along. Her hair was long, and the curly red locks twisted down to her waist, though she normally had it up in a thick bun. Her cat-like eyes were a startling blue color, shining with a strange internal glimmer that could not be explained. Her nose was small and slightly crooked, and her lips were barely there. She had a petite body, and he knew that she was five feet, three inches tall and weighed one hundred and one pounds. She had worn country clothes that night. Short denim shorts covered her lower half, and a red and white plaid shirt was rolled up and tied just under her breasts, while the rest of her stomach was covered by a thin, white cami. As usual, her feet were adorned by small, stylish combat boots. The boots were military-grade, but she had sewn buckles and straps to them to give them a bit more flair. She was always in them when he saw her.

"_I'm gonna soak up the sun. I'm gonna tell everyone to lighten up. I'm gonna tell 'em cuz I got no one to blame—"_ She cut off with a giggle, grinning widely as she deposited the trash in the huge bin. She had obviously had a good day. She was turning to return to the building when he made his move. His hand shot out in the darkness and closed around the human femme without warning. The female shrieked in fright, but went silent as she looked up into his face. A facemask covered his mouth, and a visor hid his optics.

"Silence insect!" a deep voice hissed. The red-head gasped when she saw the robot's chestplate drop down. She struggled to free herself from his grasp, but her arms were held tightly against her body in his fist.

"No! Let go!" she whimpered as she was dropped inside his chest. She stared in horror as the clear glass covered the entrance, and she immediately jumped to her feet and rushed to the huge glass door. She shrieked as she pounded on the glass, yelling at him to let her go. She gasped when something suddenly wrapped around her waist. She looked down and saw a thick metal cable wrapped around her. Movement to her left showed that another one was wrapping around her left wrist. She felt another wrap around her right wrist, and she decided that now was as good a time as any to panic. She cried out in fear and she tried to wrench her arms from the strange appendages, but the cables were too strong for her to overcome.

"No!" she screamed in fear. "Lemme go!" She screamed when she was suddenly lifted off her feet by the cables and yanked to the back of the huge metal box that contained her. "No! You can't take me away!" she exclaimed as she continued struggling. Cables suddenly exploded from the wall behind her, wrapping around her whole body from the neck down. She screamed in fear and horror as she attempted to move in the cocoon of wires, but found that she couldn't. The wires were warm and tempted her muscles to relax. No! She couldn't. She wiggled a bit more before finally admitting defeat. She sniffed quietly as fear flooded her body. Once she went still, the wires loosened slightly, allowing her more room to relax, but they did not release their hold.

A single cable separated itself from the bunch and suddenly slithered up toward her face. She leaned away from it, but it was not deterred. It gently moved around her head, gently caressing her cheeks as it passed each, weaving itself through her hair as it passed. Her breathing hitched when it settled by her left temple. The end of the cable suddenly opened, becoming a four-fingered claw, much like the ones she had seen while playing the claw game at the arcade, the one where you tried to pick up the prize stuffed animal. Those didn't seem as lethal as this one did. She cried out in terror when the claw gently pressed against her temple.

**/Fear: unfounded. Soundwave: new master. Human Femme Lyra's new designation: Lyric. Funstion: Decepticon entertainer./**

The voice seemed to be everywhere, as if it were her very thoughts. Lyra whimpered as she tried to move away from the claw. It stayed firmly, yet gently pressed to her left, temple, though, following her every movement to ensure that its controller stayed linked up to his human pet.

"No! Please, let me go!" she begged, small whimpers escaping her throat. Soundwave hummed at this. Even in her fear, her voice was beautiful. Her screams and cries were exquisite, music to his audios.

**/Request denied. Lyric: Soundwave's property./**

"I'm nobody's property. Please, just let me go!" Lyra pleaded.

**/Request denied. Lyric: Soundwave's property./**

"I'm _not _your—"

Lyra cut off with a scream when one of the cables suddenly became electrically charged. Electricity shot through her body, making her muscles spasm and her breathing hitch. Just as quickly as the torture began, it ended, and the cables tightened a little, as if cuddling her and asking for forgiveness.

**/Lyric: Soundwave's property./**

This time, it was said with finality, a sense of "accept it or be punished." Lyra whimpered quietly, wanting nothing more than to wake up from this bad dream. It didn't even make sense! A random robot kidnapped her, for crying out loud! It wasn't possible!

**/Soundwave's existence: logical. Humankind: unwelcome to planetary visitors./**

"Planetary… Are you saying you're some sort of alien?" Lyra wheezed, still trying to regain her breath.

**/Affirmative. Soundwave: autonomous robotic organism. Planet of origin: Cybertron. Rank: third./**

"But… why are you here?"

**/Cybertron: destroyed by millennia of civil war. Current status: unable to create energy to support inhabitants./**

"So your planet ran out of resources?"

**/Affirmative./**

"But what does that have to do with Earth, with me?"

**/Energon deposits: discovered on planet's surface./**

"Energon… what's that?"

**/Energon: lifeblood and energy source of all Cybertronians./**

"Oh… but why do you need me? I can't help you."

**/Lyric: able to produce soothing sound. Soundwave: enjoys Lyric's voice./**

"Wait! You're kidnapping me because I have a pretty voice?" Lyra asked, incredulous.

**/Affirmative. Lyric: Soundwave's pet./**

"No, no, no. I want my freedom back! I don't wanna be a pet!"

**/Lyrics desires: irrelevant. Soundwave: superior. Therefore, Soundwave's desires: more important./**

"But—"

**/Argument: irrelevant. Suggestion: recharge./**

"But—"

**/Recharge./**

A small gasp escaped Lyra's throat as she felt something penetrate her mind. It felt so strange, and really, she didn't know how to describe it. It was like someone was inside her head, manipulating her thoughts and feelings. She felt the presence send a burst of what could be mistaken for either affection or attraction. Then she felt the presence… well, the only way to explain would be that the presence shifted her emotions around. It was like she could see the presence pushing her fear, worry, and indignity to the back of her mind while overlaying her whole mind with a sense of peace, safety, and fatigue. Lyra hummed lightly as she slowly slipped away. She vaguely heard the sound of transformation, the strange sound of metal on metal and gears grinding.

"_Hush now, my baby… Be still, love don't cry… Sleep as you're rocked by… the stream…" _Soundwave was silent as he listened to his pet singing the gentle lullaby. Her words grew heavier and slower as she sang the short five-lined song. _"Sleep and remember… my last lul…laby… So I'll… be with you…when you…_ dream." The last word was spoken as she fell asleep. Soundwave purred lightly as he allowed the cables to completely envelop her, keeping open only a small hole to allow air circulation. The cables gently moved to where his pet was lying sideways. He would keep her safe, and she would remain his. First things first, though, he would have to convince Megatron to let her stay.

* * *

"No," Megatron said immediately. "I will not have one of those disgusting flesh creatures on my ship. Dispose of it."

"Better yet," Airachnid purred. "Hand her here."

"I will _not_ allow you to do whatever you please!" Megatron's voice filtered from Soundwave's chest, as he held the human protectively over his chest.

"Oh, _please_. It's not as if Megatron wants her here," Airachnid said in annoyance.

"It's mine!" a childish voice of a human sparkling snapped. Airachnid scowled.

"Scanning human waves, now? I expected better of you, Soundwave," Airachnid taunted.

"I'll _kill_ you!" Megatron's voice snarled.

"Enough!" Megatron broke in, glaring at his two subordinates. He looked over at Soundwave with an irritable expression on his face. "Wake it up, Soundwave," Megatron ordered. Soundwave nodded. A cable appeared from behind his chest plate, and it lightly wrapped around the human femme, retraining her just in case she panicked when she woke. The end of the cable split open and pressed against her left temple. He easily sifted through her emotions, marveling at how disorganized the human mind was and placed a sense of urgency at the forefront of her mind. He noted that she could sense, subconsciously, that she was being watched, even if it didn't completely register. He used that feeling to rouse her from her slumber. Her breathing hitched into a yawn as she opened her blue eyes. Her eyes immediately zeroed in on Soundwave, and she gasped.

"It wasn't a dream," she breathed, sounding terrified. She realized then that Soundwave wasn't the only alien autonomous robotic organism from Cybertron staring at her. Her eyes met Megatron's, and she flinched back with a small squeak. "Crap," she squeaked, looking up at Soundwave. "There are _more_ of you?" she questioned, sounding terrified and accusatory.

"Believe me, insect, I am _far_ more dangerous than Soundwave," Megatron purred, a wicked smirk on his face. Lyra shrank back into Soundwave's hand, trying to hide.

"Soundwave, autonomous robotic organisms don't eat humans, right?" she whispered.

"Primus, Soundwave! You couldn't find a smart one?" Airachnid hissed. "She is far better suited for my collection!"

"Know your place, Starscream!" Megatron's voice snarled.

"I am _nothing_ like _Starscream_," Airachnid snapped.

"Enough! Airachnid, you are dismissed!" Megatron barked. Lyra ducked down even more at his voice. Airachnid gave a growl of anger, glaring over at Soundwave before leaving the large room. "Now," Megatron began, his voice calm. "What to do with you."

"You could... set me free?" Lyra tried, ducking down in worry. Megatron scowled at her, looming close to the hand in which she was held in an attempt to intimidate her. It worked.

"You will not speak unless told to, insect," he rumbled darkly.

"Yes, sir," she squeaked, making a mental note not to answer rhetorical questions. Megatron gave an amused smirk.

"It knows its place. Very well, Soundwave. You may keep it until it expires as long as it does not distract you from your duties," Megatron announced.

"Thank you _so_ much, my _gracious… Lord_ Megatron," the voice of Starscream said.

"I do not want to hear that traitor's voice, Soundwave. Now… get it out of my sight," Megatron said in dismissal. Soundwave bowed from the waist before walking down what appeared to be a long bridge. As they moved down it towards the door, Lyra could see that it was actually surrounded by computers and that there were multiple Cybertronians that looked exactly alike manning them. "Oh, and Soundwave?" Megatron suddenly called out. Soundwave paused and turned to face the large gray mech.

"Yes, Lord Megatron?" the voice of a vehicon asked. To their left, a mech at one of the computer screens twitched.

"If I find her wandering around, she will become a blemish on my ped," Megatron stated. Lyra blanched at how hostile he sounded. Did he just threaten to _step on her_?

"Understood, Lord Megatron," a deep voice stated. To her left, a different mech twitched. Soundwave turned on his foot and left the room.

* * *

"Oh… this place is big," Lyra mumbled as she looked around the large room as Soundwave stepped inside. Soundwave pressed the open claw of the cable against her temple.

**/Room: Soundwave's quarters./**

"So you live here…" Lyra mumbled as she looked around. It wasn't much, really. In the far corner, there was what appeared to be a huge table. It was as long was Soundwave was tall. Beside the table was another smaller table with what looked like three clear cubes pressed together on top of it. The whole left wall, though was covered in screens, complete with a huge console and a large chair. They weren't moving to the console, though. They seemed to be headed to the small table that held the cubes. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing?" Lyra demanded. As she got closer, she saw that the cubes seemed to be a human cage for her. The middle cube held nothing, but the top of the cube was open, giving access to whatever giant robot that wanted her. Two more cubes were pressed up against it, one holding what appeared to be a full bathroom and the other holding what appeared to be a bedroom.

**/Empty energon cubes: Lyric's new quarters./**

"So, I have to live in a cage?" Lyra asked, irritated and distressed by this fact. She really _was_ a pet, wasn't she?

**/Affirmative. Suggestion: accept current situation. Soundwave: good master. Lyric: want for nothing./**

"Yeah, except for my freedom," Lyra replied flatly as she was lower down into the empty middle cube.

**/Negative thoughts: will make stay harder. Suggestion: accept current situation./**

With that said, Soundwave removed his hand from underneath his human, allowing the cable to lift her to the ground of the makeshift cage. Her feet were placed on the ground, and the cable retreated. Lyra stumbled a little and looked up at her master, who stared back at her, studying her.

"Sing!" a deep reverberating voice ordered, and Lyra recognized it as the giant from Ella Enchanted. Her brow furrowed in confusion.

"I don't understand. Why couldn't you kidnap some other human?" Lyra asked.

"Don't question me, young lady, and just do it!" came the very annoyed voice of a human mother. Lyra frowned before opening her mouth and obeying. An a cappella version of Evanescence's "_My Immortal_" flowed from her vocal chords, filling the room with sound. As always, Lyra allowed herself to be carried away by the song, pouring her soul into her voice and throwing her own emotions into the song. As she sang, she didn't know that Soundwave was recording it. She didn't notice that his engine started rumbling, and she didn't realize that he had lost himself in the song just as much as she had. As all things must, the song came to an end, and the last note seemed to resound around the large room. There was complete silence for a few minutes, then Soundwave stepped away.

"Wait, where are you going?" Lyra asked frantically, running to the clear wall of her cage. Soundwave paused and looked back at her.

"Soundwave, report to the bridge. I have a mission for you," Megatron's voice stated. Lyra frowned, but nodded. This could be good. Maybe this would give her time to accept what was happening to her.

"Okay," she replied flatly. Soundwave didn't reply. He turned and left. Lyra watched him leave, wondering if it was a good or bad thing for him to be gone. Him… Giant sentient robots had genders, right? Lyra pushed the irrelevant question to the back of her mind, instead focusing on what she needed to do to get free. The cubes were way too tall for her to get free by herself. Perhaps she could trick her giant slaver into letting her go? She grimaced. No, he seemed too intelligent to be tricked. So… where did that leave her?

Trapped.

So, what did that mean? She was stuck in a clear cage for the rest of her life, singing "_Kumbaya_" for that creepy robot? She frowned as she thought about it. He told her multiple times to just accept her fate. So was that her future? There had to be someone who could help her…

No. She shook her head dismally. Hope wasn't something she could afford, not when she was dealing with an army of giant robots. She would simply have to bide her time and see what happened. She nodded to herself and decided not to think about those things anymore. She glanced around her and chose to look around her new home. To her right was the bathroom, and by looking inside, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was being allowed zero privacy. The walls were completely clear, and thought there was a shower curtain that went all the way around the bathtub, it would be easy to simply look over the top of the curtain and down into the tub. Heck, the toilet didn't even have the curtain. She grimaced, knowing she would be speaking to her…_host_ about that later.

The toilet and bathtub were placed on the far wall, the toilet facing the door while the bathtub stood parallel to it. On the floor to the right, there was a single stack of three folded… towels? Lyra took a few steps over and knelt down by the giant pieces of cloth, each of which was the size of her queen-sized comforters. She took one of the cloths into her hand and blinked at how rich and soft the thick black fabric was. She rubbed it against her cheek, grinning as she did. Yes, these would make marvelous towels. She replaced the towel and went back to examining the room. In a stack beside the towels was a collection of shampoo and conditioner bottles, still in their boxes. It was as if they had been taken before they had reached the store, which led her to believe that the slave-keeper had stolen them from a distribution truck that was making its routes. Lovely.

The wall to the left of the door was completely bare, much to Lyra's chagrin, though the ceiling above the wall held what appeared to be fans. She frowned as she moved underneath them, planning to study them further. She squealed in surprise when the fans suddenly clicked on, sending a rush of warm air over her. She grinned when she realized what it was. Hairdryer. Sorta.

"Wonderful. It'd be perfect if it had colored walls," she mumbled to herself as she made her way outside to the other room. This room, like the bathroom, was clear and completely solid, roof included. The bed, which was pushed up against the far wall, was made out of what appeared to be a bunched up white blanket, though it was about seven times the size of her queen-sized comforter at home. There was another stack of three folded up black towels beside it, and Lyra decided these must be blankets. The right wall was completely void of all things, allowing robots full view of her, but the left wall… The left wall was filled to the brim with things.

The first thing Lyra opened was the small chest on the ground. It was made of metal and reminded her quite a bit of the hope chest at her apartment at the foot of her bed. The lid was remarkably light, and Lyra gaped at what was inside. Clothes. She gently took them out, frowning at them as she placed them in stacks. Shorts, long pants that resembled sweats to a point, a tank top-style shirt, a long sleeve shirt, what appeared to be an A-line sundress, and embarrassing as it was, underwear. All of them were created from a deep purple cloth that matched the slave-keeper rather closely. There were four of each article of clothing, and at the very bottom of the chest were thigh-high socks and knee-high socks. There were six pairs of each.

"Did he stitch these himself?" she questioned quietly, if just to fill the gaping silence that surrounded her. Lyra never _was_ one for silence, especially in a place like this. With a sigh, she neatly placed the clothing back where she got them and closed the chest as she moved on to the next chest. It was a lot larger than the other chest, and the lid was actually rather heavy. She grunted as she lifted it open and let the lid hit the back wall as she looked inside.

It held food, and there was _a lot_ in there. She could see a fruit and vegetables in a strange container that she was certain kept them from molding or growing old. Was that even possible? Once again, Lyra pushed the question away as she looked at all the food. Non-perishables, water bottles, chips, frozen meals. The chest seemed to have everything, though she knew she wouldn't be able to eat some of it. She sat back on her heels as she contemplated this new discovery.

What did it mean? If he had taken this much time to collect all this stuff… then he had been planning this… So what did that mean? Had he been watching her, or had he simply wanted a pet, and she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time? Did he really care? Honestly, he had to care if he took this much effort to make her stay comfortable, right? Or was this some sort of trap, a way to lull her into a false sense of security? Lyra sighed as she closed the newly dubbed Food Chest. What was she supposed to think?

"Food… water… warmth… a place to stay… Just what are you thinking, Slave-keeper?" she thought aloud as she moved into bathroom. She might as well take a shower while he was gone.

* * *

When Slave-keeper returned, Lyra had finished her shower, which had been made painful by the angry, red welts left by Slave-keeper's electric punishment. She dressed in a pair of the plum-colored pants and a tank-top-like shirt, and though the clothing was loose, it comfortable and warm. Her hair was dried by the large fans above the left wall of the bathroom, and Lyra had received the feeling that the dryer wasn't supposed to just be for her hair, but for her whole body, an idea that freaked her out to no end. Now, she was lounging in her new bed, which, despite the fact that it was a basically huge rag, was extremely comfortable. Slave-keeper immediately strode to her side and reached a hand into the middle cube, beckoning the red head over to him. Blue eyes met with an emotionless visor, and Lyra scoffed at him, closing her eyes again as she deliberately relaxed back into the rag.

"I'm not at your beck and call," she retorted with a scowl. She squeaked in alarm when familiar cables wrapped around her torso and yanked her from the bed. She shrieked when electricity surged through one of the cables momentarily. Her cry died out to a sob when the electricity cut out.

"Do not test me," Megatron's voice snarled. Lyra nodded weakly as she hung limply from the Slave-keeper's grasp.

**/Designation: Soundwave. Title to Lyric: Master./**

Lyra instinctively pulled away from the cable that was pressed against her head, not remembering when it got there. There was no way she was going to call Slave-keeper "master." It just wasn't going to happen. She screamed when the electricity returned before shutting off.

**/Title to Lyric: Master./**

So he could read her mind. Lovely. She whimpered quietly as she nodded again. She felt Sla…Master… move, but didn't bother to focus on anything. Instead, she just hung there by her torso, both her arms and legs sway lightly with every step…Master took. She grimaced as she felt him sit down, and she was transferred from the cable to his strange, flat hand. She made a pained noise in her throat when he settled her against his chestplate, his hand holding her in place as the chair turned to face the multitude of screens. Lyra watched listlessly as the two cables slithered from Soundwave's chest and hooked up to the screens.

**/Suggestion: accept new designation./**

"Don' wanna," Lyra murmured. "Wanna be free…" She received a strange sense of twisted amusement, and she started when she realized that none of the cables were pressed against her head. "How are you…?"

**/Soundwave: established bond with Lyric. Lyric: Soundwave's property alone./**

"But that's-!"

**/Lyric: Soundwave's property alone. Freedom: impossible. Suggestion: accept new designation and situation./**

"But… I'm not a pet. I'm a person with feelings and needs and—"

**/Irrelevant. Soundwave: capable of providing for Lyric's needs. Lyric's feelings: change over time./**

Lyra sighed, realizing that arguing with this robot would get her nowhere. She huffed lightly as she settled back against the hard metal of Soundwave's chest. "Why are you doing this to me?" she whispered.

**/Lyric's voice: beautiful. Soundwave: aesthetically gifted. Soundwave: enjoys music. Lyric: deserves to sing for a mech that appreciates voice. Lyric's function: sing for Soundwave./**

"And when I die?" Lyra questioned, looking up at the robot, who seemed quite startled by this question, as if he hadn't expected it. Lyra frowned. Surely, he didn't expect her to live forever. It just wasn't possible. In fact, she was fairly certain that the longer she stayed here, the more inclined she would be to take her own life. She wasn't the type of girl that liked living in a cage.

**/Question: irrelevant. Soundwave: already searching for a solution to problem./**

"Wait. You're trying to find a way to keep me alive forever?" Lyra asked in a panicked voice.

**/Affirmative./**

Great. So not only would she be a pet-slash-music slave, but she would be forced to be it for the rest of… well, forever? She groaned heavily, wondering why she couldn't have just stayed quiet. She would have to keep her mouth shut, so that the robot didn't get anymore bright ideas from her. Maybe he wouldn't be able to find a solution. Maybe if she didn't say anything, the robot would forget...

**/Designation: master. Robot: derogatory term. Lyric: unable to hide thoughts from Soundwave. Attempting to do so will result in punishment./**

Joy.

* * *

Lyra woke up warm and comfortable, surrounded in white and black blankets. She smiled as she snuggled down into her blankets, happy to be in her own house again. She could remember when David, her best friend, had teased her about having a black and white themed room, but she had ignored him. The two colors had always been her favorite for some reason. Maybe because they were so straight-forward. There was no "light black" or a "dark white." They were unchanging, and there were no different shades. At least, in her mind, there weren't.

With a sigh, she decided that it would be wise to wake up and face the day. She slowly untangled herself from the sheets and released a small screech when she rolled out of the bed and immediately felt extremely cold. She looked around with wide, terrified eyes. It hadn't been a dream. It was real. She glanced around her new home in a jerky, frightened manner, then her eyes slowly turned to face the outside wall. She saw a metal torso, and her eyes moved upwards until they met with a blank visor.

He watched her sleep? She grimaced as she looked up at him, feeling thoroughly creeped out. The robot didn't move, though, only stared down at her.

**/Soundwave: growing tired of repeating self./**

Repeating…? Oh! He didn't like it when she thought of him as a robot. But wasn't that what he was? Made of metal, monotone voice?

**/Robots: non-sentient, controllable, and non-living. Correct term: mechs./**

"Got'cha," Lyra mumbled as she moved back onto her bed to cuddle with the warm blankets.

**/Soundwave: has monitor duty. Order: sing./**

Lyra sighed as she obeyed, singing a lullaby called "_Baby Mine_" for her master. The song was a short one, and once it ended, Soundwave left the room without another word. Lyra sighed as she climbed out of the bed again, taking the blanket with her as she shuffled to the Food Chest. She hefted the lid up and gingerly pulled out a bottle of water and a bag of chips. Honestly, she wasn't very hungry. She was too stressed to have an appetite, but she knew that starving herself wasn't going to get her anywhere. She closed the lid and scurried back to her giant rag bed. She slowly ate her bag of Doritos and gulped down the water, not really tasting either of them. She sighed heavily as she debated what to do. Never before had she been… bored. Whenever she got close to being bored, she simply left the house and did something. Window shopping at the mall, seeing a movie at the cinema, going to the arcade, going for a run, and at times, she didn't even need to leave the house. She had nothing against washing dishes, folding clothes, or dusting when she was bored. She was just so used to be an active person that this new lifestyle that Master—

Did she really just think that?

Lyra scowled in disgust at herself. She couldn't believe she had called that robotic slave-keeper "master!" She snarled to herself in irritation. She hated him, she decided. She hated him for taking her from her home, for forcing her into this state of inactivity, and for playing with her mind in a way that made it a physical act. She hated knowing that he could manually send his consciousness into her head to control her thoughts and emotions. Heck, the more she thought of it, the more she grew to hate him.

Lyra let out a huffing breath as she reclined back on her makeshift bed, trying to sort through thoughts that only seemed to move in circles. Nothing seemed right anymore… how long would she survive in this twisted, parallel universe? How long would it take for her to simply curl up and decide that life was no longer worth living? She shuddered at the thought. Never before had she thought she would reach a point where she would just want life to leave, where she would want to fall asleep and never wake up. She gave a sigh as she closed her eyes, because in her current state of boredom, sleeping seemed to be the only thing to do, and at this point, she'd take whatever she could.

"_Hush now, my baby. Be still, love. Don't cry. Sleep as you're rocked by the stream," _she sang as she closed her eyes. The sound reverberated off the metal walls, giving her voice a mystical sound as she continued to sing the lullaby her mother had sang to her every night before the dreadful car accident that had taken both her mother and her father away from her. _"Sleep and remember my last lullaby… so I'll be with you… when you dream."_

* * *

**_one week later_**

Soundwave was silent as he approached his quarters. His fellow Decepticons had been silent about his latest pet, but they didn't guard their thoughts well enough for him to not know their internal thoughts. Every single one of them was laughing internally at him. They ridiculed his desire for a pet, insulting his little Lyric at every free moment. He scowled behind his visor, and he had spent the whole shift debating whether he should just kill the offending vehicons. In the end, he decided that it wasn't worth it. The idiots would continue being idiots until the next battle, at which time Soundwave would ensure they were in the front line. After all, they were worth nothing. Only cannon fodder.

Soundwave quietly entered the room and scanned for Lyric's bio-signal. He smiled when he saw that she was just where he left her: asleep in her cage. He frowned, though. Too much sleep was not beneficial for humans. In fact, it was quite the opposite. He clicked to himself as he moved to his pet's cage, peering down to gaze at her as she slept. With deliberate movements, he placed his hand, palm up in the middle cube. Two wires slithered from his wrist and wrapped around Lyric's waist. She stirred when the wires lifted her up, and two blue eyes blearily looked around as she was placed in a flat hand.

"Wha's 'appenin'?" she slurred lazily.

**/Excess sleep: unhealthy./**

Lyric flinched when his deep monotone voice rang out in her head. He didn't even have to touch her with those wires anymore.

"I can't help it. I'm so bored," she complained. That was the exact reason why she hated being bored. When she was bored, she fell asleep to escape boredom, then when she woke up, she was lethargic and felt even more exhausted. It eventually turned into a cycle, and Lyra's biggest fear was for her to simply stay asleep. Though, in this instance, was that really a bad thing?

**/Suicide: illogical. Suggestion: find something to do./**

"Easy for you to say," Lyra mumbled. That familiar sharp pain shot through her head momentarily.

**/Backtalk: insubordinate./**

"Since when was I your _subordinate_?"

**/Lyric: Soundwave's pet./**

"My name is _Lyra_. Ly-ra!" Lyra exclaimed angrily. Another pain shot through her head.

**/Designation: Lyric./**

Lyra wanted to protest, she really did, but she didn't want to deal with the unnecessary pain, so she let the argument drop. Was this how the rest of her life would be spent? Arguing over her real name while being treated like a hamster? She frowned at that thought. Not a hamster… more like a bird. After all, she was kept in a cage and told to sing.

**/Lyric: Soundwave's human. Comparing oneself to organic subspecies: meaningless./**

"Yes, but it helps me understand what my position here is," Lyra mumbled.

**/Lyric: Soundwave's human. Will remain Soundwave's pet forever./**

"Oh really? And what about when I die? Still gonna keep me around then?" Lyra asked with a scowl. She gasped at the sharp punishing pain in her head.

**/Tone: insubordinate. Human lifespan: researching solutions./**

Lyra paled in horror. He was _actually planning_ on keeping her there _forever_? She suddenly realized how terrible that would be. Would she still age? What would the other humans say when she came back to Earth two hundred years later and was still alive? How would she survive living with Soundwave, doing nothing with her time but singing for him whenever he felt like it? Suddenly, her life no longer seemed worth it. She was going to be a prisoner for the rest of her life, a slave.

**/Lyric: not slave. Lyric: Soundwave's pet./**

"The words are synonymous," Lyra murmured. Soundwave was silent for a few minutes before he allowed a single word to float through her mind.

**/Sing./**

Lyra obeyed the prompt, and _"Beauty from Pain" _by Superchick filled the room. Her voice filled the room, somehow making the hopeful song sound downtrodden, yet beautiful at the same time. The acoustics in the room picked up her voice and seemed to make it echo pleasantly. When the song finally ended, she was placed back in the cage, and Soundwave left to speak with Megatron. Lyra glanced around, trying to decide if she should even bother trying to entertain herself. After all, anything she found would only entertain her for a day at the most, and apparently, she had an incredible amount of days left before her life would end and by extension, her captivity. With a heavy sigh, she decided to lie back down and take another stab at sleeping to death. In the end, death seemed to be a better choice in her situation.

She suddenly bolted up from her sitting position. Death! If she killed herself… She frowned, though. She really wasn't ready to die. What she needed was to figure out a way to make Soundwave release her. She knew he wanted her for her voice… so she needed to get rid of her voice… But how…?

Lyra's mind suddenly replayed a day in high school when she forced and illness of sorts on herself. She had a speech final the next day, one that she was in no way prepared for. So she had spent a good portion of the night coughing violently. It had strained her vocal chords and made talking almost impossible. It healed after seven days of silence and green tea, but it had gotten her out of the test. So, with the determination of a teen trying to skip out of school, Lyra started coughing.

* * *

Soundwave grinned behind his faceplate as he approached his quarters. He had done the research and found that he could transfer Lyric's life force into a sparkling's body. The spark would be weak at first, but it would grow stronger, and once it was strong enough, he would transfer it into a cassette form. The plans were set. He just needed to build the body. The door to his quarters opened, and he strode in confidently before pausing.

Something was different. Anger and determination was flooding through his link with his pet, but it was the twinges of pain he was receiving from her that worried him. He frowned behind his visor as he strode up to the cage.

She was seated primly on the small chest filled with food. Her eyes locked on him, and he felt like he was looking at Frenzy after he attacked a Decepticon that had insulted him. The human before him looked angry, but smug, as if she had just finished something that she felt justified in doing. Soundwave's own optics narrowed as he gazed down at the human.

**/Query: what have you done?/** he asked, his monotone voice holding no accusation.

'_What I should have done long ago,'_ she thought back. Immediately, Soundwave was put on the offensive, prodding her mind to see what she had done. She gave him a successful smirk that would make Starscream proud. _'I'll give you a hint. A caged bird doesn't sing.'_

Immediately, he was able to penetrate her mind, the small hint making her actively think of her action and guiding his mind to find her deed. A single scan proved his assumption. Her vocal chords had been damaged by excessive coughing. He didn't know how long it would take for them to heal. Slag, he didn't know if they _would_ heal. What if she was mute like the Autobot scout?

**/**_**You ignorant little MAGGOT!/**_Soundwave quickly located the part of her mind that registered pain and activated it. A raspy shriek filled the air. Before, Soundwave had stopped swiftly, wanting only to train her, not torture her. This time, though, he kept the pain flowing for a few seconds. **/I asked only one thing from you!/**

'_Liar,'_ her mind hissed back. He sent another brief jolt of pain through her mind. She yelped, but continued on without hesitation. _'You asked for everything! You asked for me to leave my family, my friends, my freedom, my _humanity_!'_

**/So it is your memories that have cause this problem./** Soundwave surmised. **/Problem: solvable./**

'_Wait. What are you talking about?'_ she thought in a worried voice. Soundwave didn't reply. Instead, he reached a hand into the cage, and immediately, cables shot from his wrist and wrapped around his disobedient pet. Lyric gasped in fear when the two claws at the end of the two cables opened up and pressed against her temples. Without hesitation, Soundwave brutally attacked her mind, sifting through thoughts, processes, and memories. Every memory he came upon was deleted or covered over. Her first memory was of her playing with her father in their back yard when she was four. Soundwave carefully edited the memory so that she was playing with his own holoform and Laserbeak. Her next one was of her having a conversation with her father while he repaired an engine about her mother's waning health. He deleted it.

He was meticulous with his work, which was difficult due to how unorganized the human mind was. Every memory was scanned, and if it was possible, he would replace her father with himself. Her little brother was replaced with Frenzy's holoform. Her pet parrot was replaced with Laserbeak's image. If the memory couldn't be feasibly changed, it was deleted. As he filed through the memories, he was sure to save the voice files that her father supplied throughout her memories.

It took a good half-hour to move through all of her memories, but it was worth it. When he finally reached the end, Soundwave added a new one. In the new memory, he had just informed her that he, her father, was actually a mind-reading mech from Cybertron, and she, his daughter, was a femme. In it, he explained that her body had been injured, and he had had to move her to an organic body to save her spark. He was almost finished building her body, but it would take a few more days. He finished the memory off with her vision blacking out to give the illusion that she had fainted.

With an approving nod, he pulled the cables away and allowed them to place her in his hand before they retreated into his wrist. All that was left now was to wait for her to awaken. He grimaced when a message came through his link. He was needed for a mission. Well, no matter. She would be awake by the time he returned.

* * *

Lyric groaned as she woke. Her head felt like she had been hit with a sledgehammer, and her throat felt like it was on fire. She glanced around and felt confusion flood over her. She was on what appeared to be a huge bundled up cloth, and the cloth appeared to be settled on a huge table in a huge room. She blinked in confusion as she tried to hold back her fear. Where was she?

Then it all came back to her. Daddy told her that he was an alien, that their whole family were aliens. Alien robots, she corrected herself. She frowned as she looked around, more curious than afraid now. Behind her were two clear cubes pressed up against each other, openings facing her. They looked reminded her of a dollhouse she once had, complete with shower, toilet, and little chests that she knew contained clothing and food. She grinned as she rose to her feet. She trotted over to the bedroom and immediately opened the food chest. She would eat first, then she would make use of that shower.

* * *

The first thing Soundwave realized as he approached his room was that his plan had worked without hitch. He could sense through his mental link that Lyric was rather joyful at the moment. Her positive emotions easily flowed over his sensors, and he felt a rare smile gracing his faceplates. Without further hesitation, Soundwave keyed open the door and strode inside.

"Hey," Lyric began in a raspy voice, then she broke down into violent coughs. Soundwave moved quickly to the table where she stood freshly cleaned, complete with new sweatpant-styled pants, a tank-top, and wet hair.

"Get some water, baby," her father's voice rang out. Lyric nodded as she scurried into her room. She opened the food chest and took a sip of water, followed by another. Her vocal chords finally relaxed, and she released one final cough before peering up at Soundwave with watery eyes.

"Ow," she whispered, trying not to overtax her vocal chords again.

"Indeed. How are you feeling, honey?" her father voice asked gently, and Lyric immediately recalled the time that her father had helped nurse her to health when she had the flu two months ago. She gave Soundwave a deadpan look.

"Ow," she repeated flatly. "Wha' 'appened?"

"I don't really know. A relapse?" Soundwave offered in her father's voice. Lyric frowned, but shrugged, dismissing the point. She never _had_ been one to fight over something useless.

"So… an alien?" she whispered with a small smirk. Soundwave frowned.

"I can know your thoughts, honey. You don't have to talk so much, ya know," Soundwave replied in a teasing voice, though the two statements were drawn from two different memories. Lyric grimaced.

'_So you can read my thoughts?' _ she thought. Soundwave almost grinned at the look of extreme concentration as she thought, as if she could physically push the thought to him.

**/Affirmative./** he replied. Lyric jumped in surprise and stared at her father.

'_Why is your…uh, mental voice different than your real voice?'_ she asked.

**/Vocal processor: removed at beginning of war./**

'_Oh. Sounds painful…'_

**/Status during procedure: offline./**

'_Wait. War? You were in a war?'_

**/Negative. Current status: in a war./**

'_How did you manage fighting a war and taking care of me at the same time?'_

**/War: elsewhere on Earth. Quick travel: possible by ground bridge./**

Lyric had no idea what a ground bridge was, but she didn't feel like asking. Instead, she started combing her fingers through her hair as she continued the conversation. _'So where are Kason and Feathers... uh... I mean... Frenzy and... Laserbeak?' _ She sounded unsure of herself.

**/Laserbeak: in recharge. Frenzy: with Decepticon Scout Barricade on energon hunt./**

'_I see. So, when will I be like you guys again?'_ Lyric asked slowly, hesitantly. Soundwave inwardly smiled at her statement. It proved that he had been successful in his endeavor.

**/Maximum wait: week./**

Lyric's grin spoke volumes of her thoughts, which were filled with love, trust, and excitement. _'Good. I can't wait!'_

* * *

**_One week later_**

Soundwave stood silent and still as he looked over Knockout's shoulder at the sparkling shell. The medic was more than just a little annoyed at the mech's ceaseless surveillance. Soundwave had come to him almost a week ago to request that a sparkling shell be made. Knockout wanted nothing more than to question the communications specialist, knowing that the mech _had_ to be hiding something, but he knew it would be pointless. Soundwave had his vocal processor removed for that very reason: to make it impossible for anybot to gain any information from him verbally. His higher processing power prevented mechs from hacking his memories. In essence, Soundwave had made himself the most invaluable soldier and information obtainer in their ranks by making himself mute.

So, Knockout was in the dark, but it didn't mean he had to complete the task without commenting. In fact, he made sure to complain and question Soundwave's motives the whole time he made the body, hoping the mech would reply in some way. Nothing. In all honesty, the silence and lack of information annoyed Knockout the most. He didn't mind making the sparkling body. On the contrary, he was rather happy to do so. Slag, the little scraplet was _lucky_ it had a mech like him building the frame. As an automobile enthusiast, he had an optic for design, and the sparkling frame looked _fantastic_, if he said so himself.

It was a small, flight-capable frame. The main colors were black and deep violet with a few sky blue high lights. Knockout had no idea why Soundwave wanted it to have sky blue accents, rather than the silver Knockout wanted to add, but the medic was _not_ going to argue. Two little winglets protruded from its back, and little antennae poked from its helm. It was perfection, Knockout realized with a grin as he completed hooking up the miniscule spark chamber.

"So… I don't suppose you want to finally tell who you got sparked up?" Knockout questioned with a smirk as he held out the completed protoform. Soundwave didn't answer as he gently lifted the frame into his arms. He turned stiffly and moved to the door.

"Right. Didn't think so. Pleasure doing business with you," Knockout said to the other mech's back, his voice holding no small amount of sarcasm. He scowled as Soundwave ignored him and exited the medbay. "Slagger," Knockout added irritably as the door closed.

* * *

Soundwave stared down at the sparkling shell as he approached his quarters. It seemed so strange to be staring down at it, to be staring at what had been extinct for vorns. Soon, it would be alive, clicking and chirping with a creation's love. He smiled at the thought. He would enjoy raising a sparkling again. It seemed so long ago that his mate sparked Frenzy, and he missed the joy a sparkling brought.

He frowned, though, as his thoughts progressed. Lyric was no longer a sparkling, but a mature member of her human race. She would carry that knowledge and maturity over into the new body. He grimaced. He'd have to fix that. Perhaps he could suppress the memories. He nodded to himself. That would work. He allowed the door to open, and he strode inside, immediately seeking out his "daughter" in her little living area. She was dozing on her bed, as she tended to do when she was bored. When the doors closed behind him, her eyes opened lethargically and focused on him as he moved to her side.

"Hi, Daddy," Lyric mumbled with a tired smile. Then her eyes settled on the bundle of wires and metal in his hands. Suddenly, she was completely awake. "Is that me?" she asked excitedly. Soundwave smiled behind his visor.

**/Affirmative./**

"Kay… So what do I do?" she asked, looking excitedly, yet confused.

**/Lyric: unable to assist. Order: stay still and relax./**

Lyric froze as she watched Soundwave with complete trust in her eyes. Three cables slithered from behind his chest armor. Two wrapped gently around her body, twisting up until the claws could press against her temples. Soundwave quickly accessed her emotions and thoughts. He sifted through her emotions before bringing a sense of fatigue and boredom to the forefront. He smiled when she slowly passed out in his grasp. He worked swiftly, accessing the part of her mind that registered pain and shutting it down. He then started downloading her personality and memories. Two more cables slid from his chest and connected with the sparkling, transferring the files to the blank processor with ease. He carefully blocked the memories to be released later in her life. The second he finished this, he moved on to the next step.

He accessed her brain again and simply ordered it to stop giving signals to her heart. Her heart stuttered a few times before stilling, lacking the electric impulses that told it to beat. Her breathing hitched, and her blood flow slowed, lacking a pump to keep it moving. Her brain seemed to panic, not understanding completely that the body was dying, before it started to die as well. Soundwave held the third cable over her chest, waiting for that final moment of life. The second he felt her mind drop into uselessness, he activated the spark attracter.

He couldn't deny that he was worried. He was basing this off of theory, not fact, and as a creature of logic, he was leery of the method. His worries faded, though, when he saw the gentle blue glow gathering on the attracter. He smiled as he watched the attracter finish accumulating the spark. Two cables opened the sparkling's small spark chamber, and that final cable released the glowing orb inside the chamber. The glow grew brighter as it settled in. Tiny chamber cables surrounded the new spark, connecting it to the little body.

Soundwave gently closed the spark chamber with his cables as he transferred the sparkling to his arms and placed the human corpse on the table. He would have it thrown out later. For now, he focused on the little body in his arms. Fingers twitched, and a ped gave a single kick. Winglets wiggled, and quiet clicks filled the room. Soundwave felt his spark stutter when red optics slowly flared to life and focused on his visor. For the first time in vorns, Soundwave allowed his visor to flick up. The femlet gave a delighted squeal as she stared into Soundwave's handsome face. His red cat-like optics softened, and his thin lips lifted into a smile.

**/Good joor, Lyric./** he purred in her mind. Lyric gave a delighted squeal, hands reaching up to touch her father's face. Soundwave patiently allowed her to map out his face with curious fingers. He smiled when she pulled her hands back and looked around the room with the excitement and curiosity that every newly sparked sparkling held. He smiled as he held the sparkling against his chassis and smiled when her attention was completely riveted to the sound of his spark. She let her helm drop to his chest, wanting to hear the comforting thrum. Soundwave smiled when he felt a familiar tugging feeling in his spark. Without hesitation, he accepted the bond, sending love and comfort through. Lyric squalled happily as she cuddled close, settling down to recharge after using every bit of energy she possessed. Soundwave smiled as he replayed a recent recording.

The sound of Lyric's old, human voice singing _"Baby Mine"_ floated through the room, echoing off the walls. Lyric twittered as she listened, allowing the lullaby to lull her offline. Soundwave smiled down at her as he opened his chestplates. Cables floated out, wrapping lovingly around the sparkling. He allowed the cables to carrying her to the back of his hold, cradling her up against his spark chamber. She clicked twice and gave a single squeak before falling completely into recharge. Soundwave closed his chestplates and left the room, headed to the bridge. Megatron was returning from the Earth's core, and Soundwave knew that all Decepticons would need to be present.

His visor flicked down as he moved through the empty hallways, and cables slid back under his armor. No need to make Lord Megatron suspicious. After all, the Decepticon leader wasn't very keen on keeping sparklings around. He sensed the ground bridge opening as he stepped into the large room. Vehicons surrounded him on each side, Breakdown and Knockout standing at the back of the room. Soundwave strode over silently, ignoring the smirk Knockout turned his way. The silent mech stood tall with Knockout on his right and Breakdown on his left. A single glance at Knockout told Soundwave that the medic wished to say something, but at that moment, the door opened. Megatron calmly entered the room, looking like royalty with his proud stance, despite his numerous dents. Every Decepticon in the room dropped to a knee in unison to pay respect to their returning leader.

"Welcome back, Lord Megatron," Knockout said with a smirk as he looked over at his lord. Megatron didn't deign to answer the medic, choosing instead to move inside the room and off to the left a bit. It was the mech that stepped in behind him that caused every mech to rise to his pedes. Breakdown immediately called forth his hammer as he dashed forward to attack Optimus Prime, who seemed to be walking around as if he belonged. Soundwave didn't move, knowing that Megatron must have a reason for Prime to be here, especially if neither were fighting. A truce, perhaps. Soundwave watched as Megatron raised a calming hand.

"At ease, Breakdown," he ordered gently. The large mech lumbered to a stop as Megatron continued. "That is no way to welcome a long lost comrade," he continued, sending a sly look back to Optimus Prime, who seemed to be oblivious to it. "Orion Pax… is one of us."

* * *

"Gonna Soak up the Sun"- Sheryl Crow

"River Lullaby" – Amy Grant

* * *

SO there you have it. It _is_ possible to temporarily damage your vocal chords if you cough harshly for a long time. I didn't do it, but my brother did once upon a time. As for the heart stopping thing... I got no idea if that's how it would work :\ Not a doctor. Logically, it would make sense, right? If not... then hit the "I believe" button and move on with your life. =D Hope you enjoyed. If you did, leave me a review. First time trying something semi-dark, so if I did something right, lemme know. This is a learning ficlet for me and will help me write out my final chapter story.

See ya ;)


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